Homily 23rd Sunday OT C 7th Sept 2014
Everyone knows that the Sunday gathering of Christians is in a profound
state of crisis. Just look around at the age profile of this congregation. What
will it be in 10 years? Many people find weekly Mass unattractive. They no
longer have the patience to attend a service that they say doesn’t touch the
reality of their lives.
Some have only experienced the Mass as a social event where the people
remain passively enclosed in silence or mechanical responses.
The first generation of Christians weren’t very much worried about
numbers. At the end of the first century there might have been 20,000
Christians lost in the midst of the Roman Empire. But it didn’t matter how
many there were. They were the Church of Jesus, and what mattered was
living by his Spirit. St Paul constantly invited the members of his small
communities to “live in Christ”. The evangelist John exhorted his hearers to
“abide in him”.
Affirming and Challenging
In this Sunday’s Gospel from the Evangelist Matthew we hear Jesus say:
“Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” In
Jesus’ Church people don’t just come together out of habit, inertia, or fear.
His followers are to “gather in his name”, be converted to him, feed on his
gospel. This is also our first task, even if there are only two or three of us.
To gather in his name is to create a space, a spiritual space, a sacred space,
for living our whole existence in relationship and companionship with
Jesus.
People who see themselves as members of a believing Christian community
have a sense of Church as family. For them the Church is almost always
their own parish. They are a group of friends who meet every Sunday to
celebrate the Eucharist. This is the community where they baptize their
children, or say farewell to their loved ones until they meet again in the
fullness of life promised by Jesus to his faithful disciples.
A First Priority
You may remember that last weekend I mentioned some of the priorities
that I hope to focus on during my time with you. Among them is Adult Faith
Formation and Development. For many years now in survey after survey,
when priests are asked what should the number one priority for parishes
be, the answer is invariably Adult Faith Formation and Development. In
order to hand on the faith to the next generation we first of all have t know
what that faith and then live by it.
We may know what a child’s catechism looks like. People of a certain age
had a catechism in school. We now have something new called the Irish
Catholic Catechism for Adults published this summer.
Adult Faith Development refers to any effort that helps an adult to grow in
the knowledge and expression of their faith.
We are all involved in Adult Faith Development perhaps without being
aware of it.
Every time you participate in the Liturgy, every time you hear a good
homily, you are involved in Adult Faith Development.
Every time you pray, every time you put love into action, ‘the answer to
every one of the commandments, as St Paul puts it in 2R, you are engaged
in AFD.
If you go on retreat, read a good Christian book or magazine, you are
engaged in AFD.
When you are faced with a dilemma, like the one in this Sunday’s Gospel
where ‘your brother does something wrong’, and wonder, in the words of
last Sunday’s 2R, ‘what is the perfect thing to do’ in this circumstance?, you
are engaged in AFD.
When you go on Pilgrimage, exercise a parish Ministry or are involved in a
Group that helps those in need, you are also involved in AFD.
Did you get an opportunity to discuss any of the questions from last
weekend, particularly the one about how to show that you are coresponsible for the well being of the parish of Kilnamanagh-Castleview?
Engaging with such a question is AFD.
Questions for this week
Recalling what St Paul said in his letter to the people of Corinth: ‘When I
was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a
child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways’ (I Cor 13:11):

What does it mean to have an Adult Faith?

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is child and 10 is adult, where would I
place my faith?

What Parish Ministry would help me develop my faith?

Do I examine my conscience every night in an adult way?
Invitation
Anyone interested in exploring the contents of the Irish CCA please let me
know.
There’s a copy available in the church for viewing.